


The Absolute Sweetest

by cookiegirl



Category: Legally Blonde - Hach/O'Keefe/Benjamin
Genre: Chocolate Box Treat, F/M, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 19:58:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17793779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cookiegirl/pseuds/cookiegirl
Summary: Emmett Forrest had never paid a lot of attention to Valentine's Day before, but this year was different.





	The Absolute Sweetest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kissoffools](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissoffools/gifts).



Emmett had never paid a lot of attention to Valentine's Day. Neither of his two somewhat short-lived relationships before Elle had coincided with the month of February, and he'd certainly never felt the urge to send a secret admirer card. Usually the event passed him by almost completely, with him only giving a few bemused glances to the tacky merchandise in the shops. Most years he stayed at home in the evening to study; one year he tended bar and spent the night serving too much alcohol to single customers, watching new couples on awkward dates, and rolling his eyes at the desperate scramble for a partner that took place at the end of the night. He'd promised himself he’d never be one of those people.

But this year it was different. This year he was with Elle, and while some girls might be as indifferent to Valentine's Day as he used to be, he had a feeling Elle wouldn't be one of them. After all, if there was one holiday that was all about pink, it was Valentine's. And he wanted to do something special for her. He just wasn't sure what that should be, given that he didn't have the money for anything fancy. Still, it was only the first of February, so he figured he had plenty of time to think about it.

\---

Elle's room was, if possible, even pinker than usual. There were pale pink heart-shaped paper chains strung along the tops of the walls, bright pink streamers hanging from the ceiling, and two furry heart-shaped cushions had been added to the already overladen bed. When Emmett called around to see her, he found her lounging amidst the hearts, studying with Vivian, who seemed to be trying her best to ignore the decorations and was having to constantly brush a hanging streamer from off her shoulder.

“You decorated?” Emmett said, turning around slowly to take in the sight as he entered the room. “Already?”

“There's no excuse for tardiness when it comes to decorations!” Elle said, jumping up from the bed to kiss him. “And the earlier I put them up, the longer I get to enjoy them!”

“The longer we all get to enjoy them,” Vivian said dryly. “I didn't even think Valentine's Day required decorations.”

“Live and learn,” Emmett said, sitting on the bed and putting his arm around Elle as she settled down beside him. He'd never seen someone decorate their room for Valentine's either, but he wasn't surprised.

Vivian stretched tiredly and closed her book. “What are you two lovebirds doing for Valentine's Day, then?” she asked.

Emmett blinked. He was supposed to have plans already? Two weeks in advance? He opened and shut his mouth blankly.

Elle nudged him gently. “There's a party over at Kappa Kappa Gamma. We could go to that?”

Emmett frowned. “You want to go to a frat party? On Valentine's Day?”

Elle shrugged and smiled. “Only if you don't have other plans,” she said. He had the sudden feeling that she was giving him an out, a cheap and easy way to spend the evening, and though he loved her for offering, he had no desire to take her up on it.

“Of course he's got other plans,” Vivian said.

Emmett forced a laugh. “Yeah, of course. It's just... a surprise.”

Elle’s face lit up. “Emmett Forrest, you are the absolute sweetest,” she said. 

“Uh-huh. That's me.” 

\---

Emmett wasn't freaking out, exactly, but he wasn't far off. He couldn't come up with anything that he could feasibly afford for Valentine's. It wasn't as if Elle ever cared about what he could buy for her - she'd cooed excitedly over his Christmas present this year of a handmade scrapbook of photos and mementos from their first few months as a couple, and back in their early days he'd even managed to charm her with shampoo and conditioner (which, he now knew, should never come in the same bottle). She never minded when they ate pizza at home instead of going out for date nights, and she happily paid when they did go out if Emmett would let her. She'd adored it when he'd taken her rollerblading in the park for her birthday - even if much of that had been down to her enjoying laughing at him for falling over and crashing into trees (plus that one small child). So there was really no reason to think she’d be expecting anything over-the-top for Valentine’s. 

But Emmett had been foolish enough to say he had something planned, and now the pressure was bearing down on him. He found himself wondering how Warner had treated Elle on Valentine’s Day, and images of platinum jewelry, red roses and expensive restaurants flitted through his mind. Not that Warner was much of a role model - or any role model at all - and Emmett had no desire to be anything like him, but still. Elle deserved all of those things, and more, and he wished he was able to give them to her.

He looked around his apartment. Maybe he could he sell something to pay for a special date? He had some old comics, but they probably weren’t worth much. He had several old law textbooks that he no longer needed, but with the rate the law changed, current students were unlikely to pay much for previous editions. He ran his hands through his hair frustratedly, and then abruptly wondered if he could he sell his hair. Elle would still like him if he was bald, right? 

_Ugh_. He groaned and flopped down on his couch. _Pull it together, man_ he told himself. He decided to just book a table somewhere, and put the meal on the credit card he had but never used. He could live on toast and instant noodles next month and save the money that way. He reached for the phone before he could change his mind.

An hour and seventeen phone calls later, Emmett was feeling even more foolish. Apparently he was the only person in the state who didn't know you were supposed to reserve tables far in advance for Valentine's day. Every restaurant he had called was fully booked. A couple of the more expensive ones snootily implied that he might want to be more organized in future. One of them had been booked up since November, another since October. 

The latter one was probably for the best anyway. He could have built his own restaurant for the price of a prix fixe dinner for two there.

Which gave him an idea.

\---

“I did tell you to wear sensible shoes,” he laughed as Elle stopped in the stairwell to readjust her heels for the tenth time.

“Valentine's is not a time for sneakers, Emmett.”

“Not even pink sneakers?” he teased.

Elle cocked her head thoughtfully. “You know, I actually don't have any. I should totally get some!”

“It's not far now, I promise.”

“Are you sure you're not taking me up here to kill me where no-one can hear?” Elle asked. Emmett snorted; she was right, the stairwell was kind of creepy.

“No murder on the agenda. Scout's honor.”

Elle gave him a look that implied she didn't believe he'd ever been a Scout - about which she was entirely correct - but she continued up the stairs.

“Here we are,” he said after another couple minutes, opening the door to the roof of his apartment building. Most days it was a depressing area, a span of grey concrete with rusting vents and a view over a less than stellar part of town. But tonight it was beautiful, at least in his opinion. He'd spent all afternoon stringing up fairy lights around the edges of the roof and around the two chimneys. He'd dragged up an old patio table and chairs that he’d borrowed from a friend’s garden, and covered them in blankets to hide their slightly warped shapes. He'd scattered flower petals over the ground, and there was a bottle of wine chilling in an ice-filled bucket next to the table. Emmett was pretty pleased with how it had turned out. 

“Oh my God,” breathed Elle. “You did this?”

“Welcome to the most exclusive restaurant in Boston,” he said. “Would you care to join me at the chef's table, Miss Woods?”

Elle giggled. “I would, Mister Forrest.” 

He pulled out the rickety garden chair for her, then sat opposite and reached under the table for the picnic hamper he'd left there earlier, and lifted out the cold starters he'd already plated up.

“Asparagus and crab salad for the lady?”

“You cooked?” Elle asked. She looked a mixture of surprised, delighted and extremely apprehensive. Emmett could make a mean macaroni and cheese from a packet, but he hadn't had many great culinary successes beyond that.

“If by 'cooking' you mean ‘artfully arranged items from the deli on plates’, then yes, I did.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Elle grinned.

Emmett looked at her, her smile bright and sweet, and her hair shining softly in the warm glow of the fairy lights, and felt his chest contract. He wanted to make her smile forever. He looked down slightly shyly at the table. 

“I know it's not exactly L'Espalier, but turns out they stop taking Valentine's bookings in November,” he joked.

Elle reached out and squeezed his hand. “It's perfect, silly,” she said softly. “And if we were there, we'd be surrounded by other people. This way it's just the two of us. And that's so much better.”

Emmett squeezed back. He never thought he'd turn out to be a fan of Valentine's Day. But he figured by the time next year rolled around, Elle would probably have him decorating his bedroom with heart-shaped paper chains too, and he found that he was completely okay with that.


End file.
